<p>"Thing is, with my GPA (I'm currently a Wharton student with close to a 3.0, and it might be in danger of going under that threshold if I don't improve any), I don't know if I could get into a good graduate school. "</p>
<p>If you plan to go to business school, usually business schools prefer to take students who've been in the work world for a while.</p>
<p>You don't need to go to a top professional or graduate school to have a successful career in business or any other field. </p>
<p>Unlike what's the case for students who may have so-so averages from mediocre schools, as a Wharton graduate, you're virtually guaranteed to get into some kind of decent professional or business school if you choose to apply.</p>
<p>One also doesn't need a graduate degree to do well in business. I believe I've read that most CEOs have only bachelors degrees. There's little correlation between good grades and success in business careers. Work ethic, leadership skills, etc. are far better predictors of success.</p>
<p>IMO it sounds like you would be best cutting back substantially on your working hours and instead taking out a lot of loans. They would take a long time to pay off, but at the end of the 15-20 years you would probably be better off than if you struggled to balance both a full time job and school for all four years. Besides, you're coming out of Wharton, so you know the jobs and the money will be there if you get good grades like you are clearly capable of.</p>
<p>I come from a very poor family and went to a private school for rich kids. I didn't have to work. I had loans, financial aid, and my parents, poor as they were, paid the rest. I'm sorry to hear your family can't help you finance your education. If I were you I'd take a semester off and spend it figuring out a way to get a decent college loan.</p>
<p>I second the idea of taking a year off. get a job, without school it should be a bit more manageable, take some time to recuperate, maybe live with your mom so you won't have to worry about a place to live and such, save up some money...</p>
<p>I didn't realize that you were going to be a senior. In that case, try to stick it out. Consider taking out a small loan so you can reduce your work hours.</p>
<p>When my folks were in college and in financial trouble, they lobbied their relatives for some loans. After all. it's an investment. Having a Wharton grad that might be on wall street and owes you a favor isn't a bad card. A few hundred bucks from here, a thousand from there, it works out.</p>
<p>one more year, just suck it up and get it over with. =_= you are almost finished its not even worth complaining about. If your friends are rich and you can't seem to get along with them.. uh duh find new friends.</p>
<p>I'm also on buttloads of financial aid (I dont pay any tuition if that gives you any idea) and I worked two jobs (not that time consuming but still) during the semester :/ I got by alright and I goto a school in socal. come on.</p>
<p>To be honest, if you have a 3.0 GPA, you've done a fine job in managing yourself. I understand your concerns about grad schools, but if you indicate that you've been supporting yourself entirely and your circumstances... Well, they have that section there for a reason.</p>
<p>OK...you guys are being ridiculous. Sharing your own completely dissimilar experiences do not aid in any way -- if you aren't going to be helpful, why post anything at all? How about all of YOU just "suck it up" and stop complaining about your own lives on an anonymous website? I don't know why people love tearing each other down, but it's pretty pathetic.</p>
<p>Legend, you're in a really tough situation. Have you considered taking a year off to work? Most Ivy League universities are really supportive of that kind of thing -- Harvard has a great page on their website about "burnout." I think you should take a year off to work and find your bearings, figure out what it is you really want to do, and then when you go back to school it will be with renewed purpose and you can present a real GPA jump that, along with a story of reinvigorated passion, will really impress employers. All the big companies love socioeconomic diversity and with a story like yours -- you've overcome many obstacles, worked very hard to escape the situation you were in -- you will be a hire everyone wants, rather than a pity hire (which is probably how you see yourself -- see below). </p>
<p>I suggest you find some opportunity that allows you to support yourself a little while gaining a great experience -- something to refresh your mind. I've heard good things about City Year and other Americorps-associated programs -- you can put your business background to use in a nonprofit, community-oriented way that will be impressive, while gaining some scholarship money and probably having assured housing. Or you could try to find a temporary position in a large company -- perhaps some place you have interned at. Having actually worked a real job will be a big boost in your resume. If all else fails, just moving back home and taking something full-time in your hometown will probably be very motivating, allow you to make some money, and be compelling. </p>
<p>I think if you take the initiative, you can turn what now seems like a big problem into an actual advantage for you. Plus, it'll give you your needed break from academia and also cure your neuroses. </p>
<p>I come from a very modest background and family situation myself and, going through the college admissions process, it took me a long time to shake off an inferiority complex about myself that you probably suffer from too, on some level. PM me if I can help you out, bro. It's a tough spot.</p>
<p>UPenn is an amazing school and I would normally always tell someone to stay, but if you really aren't happy then maybe you should look into transferring to Penn State University Park. It is always an amazing time. There's a reason they call it Happy Valley.</p>
<p>I can not believe the venom with which some of these post have been composed. Legend, You are most certainly displaying symptoms of "Burnout". When trying to achieve we can often become our own worse enemy. I agree with "yougotjohn", you need to step back for a moment and regroup. There are layers of issues that appear in need of proffessional attention.
1) The death of your dad
2) How your dad's passing impacted your relationship with our mom
3) How this very real drama can impact ones sense of self and purpose.</p>
<p>If you only have one year left you may want to try to make it through but it really sounds like you need to get some help with these underline issues ...and maybe friends who are a better support system rich or poor.</p>
<p>I hate how people resort to "professional" help so easily, or tell others to resort to it. Sorry.
Legend I hate having those friends too, especially when they use money like toilet paper... but on the bright side you can use those friends as networking and try to get a decent job.</p>
<p>Please recognize that this is a phase. You are in a period of your life where you are working very hard to break free of the limitations into which you were born. Those who are "looking down" on you because you won't spring for a round of mojitos or whatever are doing their best to keep you down. </p>
<p>You have already proven that you are deserving of being in the race, you got in! In fact, you probably didn't have lots of SAT tutoring, and other private help, while those people probably did. Therefore, you have ALREADY overcome some limitations, and have made much more progress than they did in just getting into Penn.</p>
<p>Don't let the bozos get you down. Focus on what is important and ignore those people who are not supportive of your efforts to continue to improve your life. Where do you want to be in 10 years? Don't drop out, or slow down. Recognize that you are learning how to set priorities in your life right now, and the real world cares less about where you came from and more about what you can get done. If you can learn to ignore the nay-sayers in your life, and focus on the job at hand, then you can go far.</p>
<p>A long time ago, I was told "You can go a lot farther with PUSH than you can with PULL." If you can PUSH your way thru problems, then it doesn't matter that you don't have any PULL. Those rich kids might have lots of PULL, but they aren't learning how to PUSH. You have already shown that you have tons of PUSH, so keep PUSHING.</p>
<p>max, I too remember you from the "beginning" of your story here on cc.</p>
<p>Don't listen to others who think you shouldn't "complain" about any hard times you are having. Because <em>they</em> are not listening. You came here to vent, and venting is sometimes the healthiest thing we can do for ourselves.</p>
<p>It IS tough and we - almost all of us - suffer from comparing how we have it vs. how others have it and wishing we had advantages others have.</p>
<p>Please allow yourself to recognize what you have accomplished and are accomplishing. Working so hard to keep your head above water.... that is quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>I love the advice of the poster just above me.</p>
<p>I hope you will consider what NSM and others have suggested - take advantage of counseling services at Penn; and/or take a break from school for a semester or a year.</p>
<p>Pushing through is probably the best thing you can do for yourself<em>. You had to PUSH and WORK to make the Penn admission and aid package work for you. That takes perserverance, character and skill. Those traits *belong</em> to you and will serve you well.</p>
<p>*whether that is continuing and finishing your Senior year this fall/spring... or giving yourself a break and returning next year.</p>
<p>I go to Stern and I have regrets about it for various reasons as well. My friends from home all thought I could do better at the time (based on NYU's general rep for being a rich-kid party school and all--and it is in some ways). I kinda wish I had gone to another college that I gotten into (a "better" one, too). Looking back on what could have been kinda sucks. Oh well.</p>
<p>That said, at least you're at Wharton, of all places. I'm sure you're dad was and would be proud of you (and your mom is as well--though she might not know how to express it at the moment). You've actually accomplished a lot already. You only have one more year until graduation, so that shouldn't be too bad.</p>
<p>Some of the earlier bitter posters are just envious. ;)</p>
<p>you cant be that poor if your parents are giving you money. Poor is like all of your bills, rent and ther stuff, and everything come to 19K a year and you only make 19.5k.</p>
<p>Sounds pretty tough, but I wouldn't go the professional help nor summer route (just because you're almost done and grad school apps are probably your final undergrad challenge). Maybe take out a small loan and cut down work hours a bit. Otherwise, just try to stick it out ("autopilot", so to speak). Good luck to ya.</p>